Desert
by Angel Tsuiraku
Summary: The Guys meet up with some very interesting ladies...in Egypt!


The desert seduced her every sense, opened her eyes to a world she hadn't glimpsed since she was young and innocent. Angel fell in love with everything about the desert. The heat that seemed to comfortably blanket her and envelop her body, and the vast expanse of nothing but sand and sky was welcoming. There was such peace and comfort. She felt she had at last returned to her home, though another part of her was restless. Restless for a different home, one that consisted of fine dining, good manors, and charming accents.  
  
For the moment, however, Angel contented herself with the knowledge that the entirety of the Sahara desert had opened its arms in welcome to her. She was all too grateful to accept.  
  
"I sure hope you know what you're doing," Makoto commented blandly at her side. "Because I sure as hell don't."  
  
"Look at it, Mako. Isn't it amazing? There are so many secrets here, so many things to see," Angel murmured, clearly excited.  
  
"It's so damn hot."  
  
"It's wonderful."  
  
"No. It's sweaty."  
  
"Wonderful."  
  
"Sweaty."  
  
"You have no appreciation for the outdoors, do you?"  
  
"Give me a Japanese tea ceremony and I'll be happy."  
  
"Demanding, aren't you?" Angel commented. Mako cast her a look that spoke volumes. She wanted to be somewhere with coffee and air conditioning.  
  
"Well, let's get this over with, shall we?" she said, impatiently swiping sweat from her brow. Angel shook her head at her companion and turned her gaze back across the sands.  
  
"Our best bet is due east, toward the Nile," she explained as Mako began to pack her things. Angel hoisted her own pack to her shoulders.  
  
"You think the Maganac headed toward Egypt?" Mako asked, surprised. "But-"  
  
Angel tossed her a smile. "You forget, Mako, that these lands are now unified. They're as welcome there as anywhere else in the Middle East. And my father always had a weakness for pyramids and Egyptian ruins."  
  
"I see." Mako lifted her pack and gave Angel a sour look. "This is going to take days, you know."  
  
Angel grinned cheerfully. "I know."  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
"Egypt?" Quatre Raberba Winner repeated, leveling a gaze at Duo Maxwell. The Arabian straightened his papers and rose to his feet.  
  
"Well, yeah. It sounds really interesting, and we could all use a vacation," the American replied as he shuffled his feet nervously. He was beginning to understand why Quatre made such a good businessman. The look in Quatre's eyes was no-nonsense. It was clear that he wanted Duo to get straight to the point.  
  
"Listen, Duo, I have no problem with sending you to Egypt, but my work keeps me busy and I just can't take a vacation right now."  
  
"But that's exactly what I'm talking about!" Duo exclaimed passionately. "All of us need a vacation. Especially you, Quatre. You've been in this office for days!"  
  
Quatre lifted an eyebrow, gazing at the papers scattered in piles around the room. "Yes, well.not without good reason." But Duo's suggestion of a vacation was becoming overwhelmingly tempting. Duo noticed this and pressed on.  
  
"Lots of your employees would really love to help, Quatre, and it's been so long since you've traveled anywhere. The rest of us could really use it," he added. Quatre looked at him, smiling a bit, and shook his head.  
  
"All right. I'll arrange it."  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
It was a long plane ride. A very long plane ride. It was excruciating for Duo to sit still for so long. Quatre was rapidly finding out just how annoying an American madman could be. He glanced over at Wufei and sighed. The Chinese man was meditating, and therefor had blocked out the entire material world. Heero was sleeping, rather deeply for him. Even Trowa didn't seem to notice Duo's insistent and non-stop chatter.  
  
He sighed and shook his head. During the war, Duo's upbeat personality had been something he'd been extremely grateful for. Now he could hardly stand it. Maybe it was because he was around talkative people all day, or maybe it was because he was so stressed out, but he was finding Duo hard to handle. Only a few more hours.  
  
--Heero could see the Nile glittering in the background, past the ancient pyramids. It  
  
threw off the starlight, dazzled the tourists with its twisting depths. But the Nile wasn't what Heero was there for. He didn't know what he was there for, not yet. Something was calling to him, something.special. But Heero shook his head resolutely. He would not allow emotions to tangle him in knots. He was here with his friends, that's all. Nothing more.  
  
Still, when he saw her, her red hair dark in the moonlight, and her streamlined body pressed against a rail of a slow boat chugging through the murky waters of the Nile, he felt that she was what he was there for. Her and her alone. He followed the boat on his camel, keeping his eyes glued to her.  
  
When she got off the boat he was close enough to touch her. She looked over at him in surprise as he took her arm gently, but she didn't pull away.  
  
"I'm.Heero Yuy," he said softly as he steered her from the dock.  
  
"Makoto Tanaka."- 


End file.
